By K. Ericson Sayee

MONROVIA, July 15 (LINA) – The Executive Director of the National Commission on Higher Education (NCHE), Dr. Edward L. Wonkeryor, has disclosed that the NCHE has recognized 80 higher learning institutions that are eligible and granted full permission to run tertiary programs which includes Associate, Bachelor, Master, and PhD.

Dr. Wonkeryor stated that the update of accredited institutions of higher learning is to inform students’ decisions when seeking higher education.

Speaking recently at MICAT regular press briefing, Dr. Wonkeryor disclosed that among the recognized institutions, two offer doctoral degrees, namely the University of Liberia and Cuttington University.

He added that eleven institutions offer Master’s Degrees, 35 offer Bachelor Degrees, and 31 are Associate's Degree-granting institutions.

According to him, among the recognized institutions, 13 higher learning institutions are public, 32 are private, and 35 institutions are faith-based, spread across eleven counties of Liberia.

He then named Bomi, Bong, Grand Bassa, Grand Gedeh, Grand Kru, Lofa, Margibi, Maryland, Montserrado, Nimba, and Sinoe Counties are where those institutions of higher learning are found.

Dr. Wonkeryor said that the 2022/2023 statistics has put students’ enrollment at the various institutions to 59,854.

 "The 2022/2023 higher education management information statistics (HEMIS) put the students’ enrollment in higher education to 59, 854, including 31,877 males and 27, 987 females across all levels of the higher education sector," he disclosed.

Meanwhile, the NCHE's top official wants the elevation of his institution to an autonomous agency or ministerial status, which will enable or permit the entity to attend cabinet meetings where the head will make the case of the NCHE.

He further intimated that the institution is willing to work and lobby with both the Executive and the National Legislature to support this idea for the good of the country's higher education sector.

"We intend to revise the 1989 Act that created the National Commission on Higher Education as a means to build and upgrade the statutory capacity of the commission for effective performance. This is in line with international best practices, which calls for higher education to be managed by a ministry with cabinet status," Dr. Wonkeryor concluded.